Vaporizing system for commercial liquefied hydrocarbons



Juy 49 l933 E. E. PORTER V l,9-l7,l54

VAPORIZING SYSTEM FOR CMMERGIAL L'IQUEFIED HYDROGARBONS Filed May 1l, 1952 2 SheetsSheef. l

July 4, 1933. E. E. PORTER 1,917,154

VAP'ORIZING SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL MIQUEFIED HYDRoCARBoNs Filed May 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Fig 1; and l y 30' ig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 .45 been exhausted. The numeral 6 desi Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED srailsL PATENT OFFICE EDGAR E. PORTER, l' CHARLOTTE, yNQB'IJIEI CAROLINA Application med Iay 11,

The object of my invention is to provide an individual vaporizing system for liqueied hydrocarbons which can be installed and operated at a minimum cost and which is maina- E ly automatic except for the delivery of fuel when needed. It 1s also an object of my invention to provide novel means for assuring a continuous as supply from the commercial liqueed gas y brlnging this'fuel into such 1.0 near Contact with the surrounding earth that it keeps the fuel above its boiling point and continues the production of vapor. I attain these and other objects of m invention by the apparatus illustrated in t e accompany- 1.5 in drawings, in whichigure 1 1s a view partly in vertical section and partly inside elevation of my apparatus; f Fig. 2 1s a vertical section on line 2-2 of of F1g. 2.

of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

.$ I provide a reserve'tank or container 1, and/ 30 valve controlled filling pipe 3 extending to the lower portion of tank or container 1. I also provide a filling pipe 4 leading from pipe 3 to the vaporiz' tank compartment 2, as shown in Fig. 1. aid pipe is provided with a suitable control valve 4 as shown in Fig. 1. I also (provide al pipe 5 for releasing any impounde air in container 1 over into container 2, where it goes out with the fuel. Pipe 3 passes through the larger pipe 5 with- 0 out connection with it to near the bottom of compartment 1 for filling it with fuel. The lower end of pipe 3 from the T connects with pipe 4 for emptying container 1 into container 2 after the contents of container 2 have ates the vapor chambers'above any liquid nel in the fuel tank compartments 1 and 2, namely, the upper portions of compartments 1 and 2 which are filled by hydrocarbons which to 5 that extent have reverted from a liquefied to 1932. Serial No. 610,740.

a gaseous state. I provide a system of pref-y erably horizontal ducts or pipes 7, and a system of preferably vertical ducts or pipes 8, placed below tank compartments 1 and 2 and both in rcommunication with each other and with compartment 2, as shown in the drawings, and into,which the liquefied hydrocarbons will How by gravity aided by some pressure caused by vaporization of the liquid in chamber 6 of compartment 2.

Ontop ofetank 2 I provide a standard pipe connection fitted with a service cock 9. I also provide a suitable vaporpressure regulator 10 that controls the pressure of the gas iowing through the delivery pipe 11 to the G5 appliances using the gas. I also provide a relief valve and vent pipe 12 to guard against excessive pressures, and a suitable valve box 13 to make accessible and to protect the valves. The whole plant is placed under the l l earth 14. Like numerals designate like parts in leach The plant is designed for the practical use of compressed gas that is liquid or gas depending on temperature and pressure but hereafter/walled liqu'eed hydrocarbons 75 said gas derived as such fractions of natura gas, by-products of refining petroleum, etc. as are commercially available forffuel handled under pressure. The content of this fuel varies, but may include such compounds as butane, propane, etc. that are sold under these and other trade names.' These components are ordinarily gas; but they are compressed and handled as liquefied petroleum gasA in drums and tanks of ample strength. Thus under pressure, its release lets the liquelied fuel go back to vapor with an absorption of heat that tends to cool it below its boilingv point and-stop the process unless more heat is. supplied. rlhe boiling point of the fuel is much below the mean tem perature of the earth, so that the surrounding earth affords a source of heat for a very simple heat unit. This plant is designed to prevent heating the fuel aboye its boiling point by making it circulate through a volume of earth as a heat unit to maintain the vapor or gas supply. This purpose is accomplished by arranging circulating ducts in connection with the tank,

equipment. This simple plant gives positive action with great economy. n What l claim is: l

1. In a vaporizing system for liquefied hydrocarbons for individual installation, the combination of plural containers for the storage and use ofV compressed fuel, a filling pipe leading to one of the containers, a second fillin g pipe leading from the lirst filling pipe to the other container, valves for said plpes, a gas delivery conduit leading from one of the containers, a pressure regulating valve in said conduit, and pipes opening out of the aforesaid container, and said containers and pipes being embedded in the earth for the circulation of fuel for heating it by making use of the reserve heat of the earth, said pi es comprising a series disposed horizontal y below the gas container.

2. In a vaporizing system for liquefied hyconduitleading from one of the com artments, a pressure regulating-valve in sai conduit, apparatus opening out of one of the compartments and embedded in the earth for the circulation of fuel for heating it by making use of the reserve heat ofthe earth, said apparatus comprising a series of pipes, and a second series of pipes disposed beneath the tank -and in communication therewith.

EDGAR E. PORTER.

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